Arthur C. Clarke: 1917-2008

One of the fathers of science fiction has passed away. He was one of the very few science fiction authors to have actually written about things that eventually came into existence, surprisingly within his lifetime. After all, he was also a scientist, himself. The most notable of these is probably geostationary orbiting satellites. Perhaps more Clarke futurisms will come true in the years to come.

2001 is a film remembered by all, whether you are a science fiction fan or not. Clarke somehow outlived Kubrick, but the masterpiece of those two minds collaborating is one of the greatest movies ever made. But, everyone should definitely read the book, as there is so much more crammed in those pages… stuff that makes one gasp at the possibilities of our own creativity as men. Like the movie, Clarke’s stories, while possessing fantastic creations of science and physics, were more about how man evolves alongside technology and scientific discovery, and how society and morality adapts to the future.

If we have learned one thing from the history of invention and discovery, it is that, in the long run — and often in the short one — the most daring prophecies seem laughably conservative.